The notes below have been abstracted from the following reports. To obtain further information on these reports click on the appropriate button.
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Click here to see the exact text of the section dealing with DELAWARE
County from this 1823 survey of the conditions and methods of poor relief
throughout the state which resulted in the passage of the law in 1824 which
established a system of county poorhouses in New York.

1824 LAW (required establishment of poorhouse vs. exempted):
exempt

1857 INVESTIGATION:

This is a two-story
house of wood, very old and dilapidated, thirty by forty feet. Beside this is an asylum twenty-five by thirty feet. Attached is a farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres yielding a
revenue of $250.00. The basements
are used only for the storage of produce. In the house are twelve rooms heated by stoves and furnaces, destitute
of ventilation and with extremely low ceilings. The number of inmates was fifty-eight; twenty-five males and
thirty-three females; of these two-thirds are native and one-third foreign
born; eleven are under sixteen years of age. The sexes are kept separate. They
are under one keeper assisted by his wife. From two to twelve paupers are placed in a single room. The average number of inmates is sixty-five; supported at an average
weekly cost of one dollar. The
able males are employed on the farm and the women about the house. Once during the year past the supervisors have visited the house. It is supplied with Bibles, and there are occasional religious
services; the children are sent to the district school. The superintendent procures supplies for the house, and prescribes
rules and regulations concerning government and system of diet. He also binds out the children and exercises the power of discharging
lunatics. A physician is employed by the year, who visits the house
when called. There are no
arrangements for bathing and no water for the house except what is drawn from
the river. They have a well,
which is now (August 16,) dry. During
the year have occurred seven deaths.

Of the inmates,
thirteen are lunatics; three males, ten females, all except one are paupers. For the reception of lunatics is erected another and separate building,
in size twenty-five by thirty feet. In
this are fourteen cells, close and without means of light or ventilation,
except by a small diamond hole in the door. The inmates sleep on straw changed once a week. Two are confined in these cells the whole time and all at night. They have no special medical or other attendance. Sometimes they are restrained by handcuffs. The keeper reports two as improved and three cured during the year; but
the committee fail to discover how improvement or cures can be effected with
the facilites here offered. Eight
of the paupers are idiots; five males, three females. There is one deaf and dumb.

"... The
sufferings of these unfortunates from whom the air and light of heaven
is shut out, would form a dark chapter of human misery could it be
written."

Note: Fortunately that chapter was written ... by
Dorothy Dix who successfully campaigned for reform of these conditions
throughout the country. PHL

from online edition of Delaware
County portion of Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York State
by J. H. French, LL.D. - 1860

"The poorhouse is an old, two story wood building,
situated upon a farm of 175 acres about 2 mi. S. of Delhi Village. The
average number of inmates is 65, supported at a cost of $1.00 per week
each. The farm yields an income of $250."

During my November 2001 "Going to the
Poorhouse" Speaking tour around NYS ... we discovered in several
counties that, while there might have been no mention of the history
of the county (or town) poorhouse(s) in the county history books, one
could usually be reconstructed from the reports of the Proceedings
of the Board of Supervisors.

Lo & Behold! As I was catching up on poorhouse items
on the internet ... I found that the Delaware County GenWeb site has
actually transcribed this publication for their county from 1832
through 1845 ... and it is searchable! So I searched using the
word "poor" and did indeed find many items which gave a
sketchy history of that institution during that time period. It seems
that there was a good deal of upset about the costs of the Delaware
County Poorhouse. There were a few motions (which did not carry) to do
away with that system and return the care of the poor to the various
towns. There was also a rather impassioned effort to have the children
in the poorhouse removed by "binding out" to families in the
community. It concluded with a very detailed report to the supervisors
from the Superintendents of the Poor for the year 1845. But...go
read for yourself. Just use the search engine provided at ...

PROCEEDINGS
OF
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF DELAWARE
(1832-1845)

Note: The page is very large and
takes a while to load ...
but it is well worth the wait. PHL

RECORDS:

But Look Here ! On another page by
Linda Ogborn --

" There are over 4000 on this list
from public records of the Pauper's in the "Poor House" in Delaware County."
Linda Ogborn, September 6,
1998

The Delaware County Times (Delhi newspaper) in the September 11,
1984 issue printed a list of known graves in the Delaware County Potter's
Field (1885-1956) -- 378 names. (See below)

"Many of the inhabitants of the poorhouse in Delhi were buried
on the grounds with only a plaque denoting this fact. It sits near the
driveway. As you may or may not know, this property is now owned by
Delhi SUNY - majority of it used as golf course. The piece of the
property that contains the remains, to my knowledge, is not trampled or used
in any way. It is, however, well cared for.
As I read the plaque, I inferred that there had not ever been individual
markers"
Harriett Schultz PSCHULTZ30@msn.com

We are hoping to build this base of information about the poorhouse in DELAWARE county through the helpful participation of readers. All are requested to submit items of interest by sending
e-mail
to The Poorhouse Lady.